Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Cucumber season has arrived in the Edible Garden. Horticulturists selected ‘Suyo Long’ and ‘Ellen’s Family White’ Cucumbers this year. The ‘Suyo Long’ Cucumber tends to curl when it touches the ground, so the vines are supported by trellises. This also keeps the fruit clean and saves space.

Garden Chef Christina Curry brightens up this cucumber salad with Thai basil. Mint would also do the job.

In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, carrot, and Thai basil. In a small bowl, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, and grapeseed oil. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss together. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Atlanta Botanical Garden Chef Megan McCarthy whipped up another winner this past
Thursday at Cocktails in the Garden. She
paired buttery Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon with creamy Neufchâtel cheese and served the delectable mixture
on a Belgian endive leaf.

Garden Chef Megan recommends reserving some of the salmon to fold into the mixture at the end. This will add visual interest as well as texture to your dish. Another tip, if you have trouble finding micro greens use baby watercress for that finishing touch. Other party-worthy serving options are sliced cucumbers, crackers and a topping of caviar for an extraordinary treat. Enjoy!

Friday, June 15, 2012

‘Ronde de
Nice’ Zucchini from the Edible Garden replace
traditional noodles for this pasta-like dish. ‘Ronde de Nice’ Zucchini is round and has a
milder flavor than the longer, common zucchini of grocery stores. Zucchini is full of potassium and an excellent
source of folate.

Garden Chef
Megan McCarthy demonstrated how to use a grater to shred the zucchini or a food
processor to get the job done fast. She
added carrots for color and suggested trying shredded red cabbage or radicchio
for an even more colorful “pasta.”

Garden Chef
Megan McCarthy had a real treat for the Cocktails in the Garden visitors. She demonstrated a simple and quick summer
crab salad made with juicy pineapple, red onion, avocado, and fresh squeezed
lemon juice. This dish is perfect for a
summer lunch - no stove required! Enjoy!

Summer Crab
Salad

8 oz lump
crab

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 avocado,
diced

½ cup fresh
pineapple, diced

½ cup red
onion, diced

1 T avocado
oil

salt and
pepper, to taste

1 head
butter lettuce

In mixing
bowl, add lemon juice to lump crab meat and toss. Add in avocado, pineapple, red onion and
drizzle with avocado oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss until combined. Serve crab salad in butter lettuce cups.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Beets are great for heart health, lowering cholesterol, and anti-aging.
These ‘Bull’s Blood’ Beets were
harvested from the Edible Garden and roasted in the
Outdoor Kitchen. Can’t get any fresher
than that!

Garden Chef Megan McCarthy lets roasted beets shine in this
salad. Served on a leaf of butter
lettuce, it’s almost too pretty to eat.
Almost…

Roasted
Beets with Almond Orange Vinaigrette

4
beets, washed and trimmed

3
T roasted almond oil

2
T blood orange vinegar

1
T orange juice

salt
and pepper, to taste

1
tsp orange zest

1
T fresh parsley, minced

Preheat oven to 400◦.
Trim and rinse beets. Place beets
in foil, drizzle 2 tablespoons roasted almond oil and fold foil to close. Place in oven on a baking sheet and roast for
1 hour or until tender. Let cool. Peel beets under cold water. Cut peeled beets into small wedges and place
in medium bowl.

In small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon roasted almond
oil, blood orange vinegar, orange juice, salt and pepper. Drizzle beets with vinaigrette and toss. Add orange zest and parsley and toss
again. Serve as a side or a starter
salad.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Broccoli ‘Beaumont’
was planted in the Edible Garden in February and
ready for harvest in May.The
Horticulturists pulled the broccoli before the heat set in here at
the AtlantaBotanical Garden.

Garden Chef Christina Curry’s recipe
(below) has directions for roasting broccoli in the oven.For her cooking demos, Christina took advantage
of the large grill in the Outdoor Kitchen by wrapping the broccoli in foil
packets and cooking directly on the grill.Throw your favorite protein on the other side of the grill and you’ll have
dinner in no time!

Sesame Roasted Broccoli with Mixed
Greens

1 lb broccoli florets

1 T ginger, chopped

2 tsp garlic, chopped

1/3 cup sesame oil

3 T soy sauce

1 tsp chili garlic sauce

1 T honey

6 oz mixed greens

carrots, julienne

salt & pepper, to taste

black & white sesame seeds, to
garnish

In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli,
ginger, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Toss together and transfer
to a foil or parchment lined baking sheet, season with salt and pepper.
Roast in a 400º oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow
to cool for a bit. In the same bowl, add the soy sauce, garlic chili
sauce, honey and remaining sesame oil. Whisk together and immediately add
the mixed greens and carrots. Add the broccoli and lightly toss. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Edible Garden

Showcasing the farm-to-table concept of cultivating and consuming fresh, local and sustainably-grown food, the Edible Garden project not only returns the 1-acre asphalt parking lot to green space but also demonstrates that fruits and vegetables make beautiful landscape plants.
The garden includes an Outdoor Kitchen where Atlanta's top chefs will present cooking demonstrations using garden ingredients. On weekends, the Garden Chef demonstrates seasonal recipes using ingredients harvested straight from the Edible Garden. And, as for those leftovers go, any food not used in educational programs will be donated to local charities.